Astro Boy - Original

Astro Boy was the central character in Osamu Tezuka’s manga series published in Japan in the 1950s and 1960s. Usually shown in various heroic poses, the manga hero is here transformed into a pathetic figure, balding and bent over with shame. As with all his characters, KAWS brands Astro Boy with his trademark X to replace the original wide eyes. Since the late 1990s, the artist has produced toys that are intended to be circulated in both the global commodity and art markets. By dealing directly with branding, production and distribution, his toys compel their collectors to consider what the commodity-status of art objects is today.